Cursor
Last updated: February 17, 2026
What is Cursor?
Cursor is a code editor built on top of VS Code that puts AI at the center of your coding workflow. Instead of switching between your editor and ChatGPT, you talk to your codebase directly. Ask it to build features, fix bugs, or refactor — and it does it with full context of your project.
Who is it for?
- Best for: Solo developers and non-technical founders building MVPs, web apps, or automations
- Not for: Teams with strict code review processes who need predictable, auditable changes
- Solo builder score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
What does it cost?
| Plan | Price | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 50 slow AI requests/day, basic autocomplete |
| Pro | $20/mo | 500 fast requests/day, GPT-4 + Claude access |
| Business | $40/mo | Team features, admin controls |
Hidden costs: The free tier is genuinely usable but you’ll hit the limit fast on a real project.
Free tier reality check: Good enough to try it. Not enough for daily use.
How we’d actually use it
Say you’re a solopreneur building a landing page with an email signup. Instead of writing HTML/CSS from scratch:
- Open Cursor, describe the page you want in natural language
- Cursor generates the full page with responsive design
- Ask it to “add a Mailchimp integration for the signup form”
- It writes the API connection code
- Ask it to “make the design more professional, dark theme”
Time saved vs doing it manually: 4-6 hours → 30 minutes
What’s good
- Understands your entire codebase, not just the file you’re in
- Tab autocomplete feels like it reads your mind
- Supports every language and framework
- Free tier actually lets you evaluate it properly
What’s not
- AI suggestions can be confidently wrong — you still need to review
- Heavy AI use can slow down the editor on older machines
- Privacy concerns if you’re working with sensitive code (sends code to cloud)
FAQ
Q: Can I use Cursor if I don’t know how to code? A: Partially. It can generate code from descriptions, but you’ll need basic understanding to debug and guide it. It’s a 10x multiplier on existing skills, not a replacement for them.
Q: Is Cursor worth it over just using ChatGPT with VS Code? A: Yes. The inline context awareness is the difference. ChatGPT doesn’t know your project structure. Cursor does.
Q: What’s the best alternative to Cursor? A: GitHub Copilot in VS Code is the closest competitor, but Cursor’s chat-with-codebase feature gives it the edge for solo builders.